Search on and search for functions in applications with varying data types

• US 20040039752A1
• Filed: 08/22/2002
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: May, Michael R., Goldfuss, John A. Jr., Rozins, Larisa M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,113,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method and system for conducting a web search. The method comprises the steps of receiving a language selection and a web page selection from a user; and translating said web page into said language, including translating a pull-down list of searchable fields, and for each said field, translating items on one or more selection lists, wherein a code is associated with each item. The method comprises the further steps of providing said translated web page to said user, including providing script enabling said user to select one of said searchable fields and one or more of said items; receiving the codes associated with the selected items, and performing a search in response thereto; and translating results from said search into said language, and providing the translated results to the user. Preferably, the translating step includes the step of converting the data structure of a date or an amount into the selected language.

Claims

1. A web search method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a language selection and a web page selection from a user;

translating said web page into said language, including translating a pull-down list of searchable fields, and for each said field, translating items on one or more selection lists, wherein a code is associated with each item;

providing said translated web page to said user, including providing script enabling said user to select one of said searchable fields and one or more of said items;

receiving the codes associated with said selected items, and performing a search in response thereto; and

translating results from said search into said language, and providing the translated results to the user.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said translating includes converting the data structure of a date or an amount into said language.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a software tool to assist with the search, and wherein the step of receiving said codes includes the step of using the software tool to identify codes equivalent to said items.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the step of receiving said codes includes the further step of performing a search for a code equivalent to the selected one of the items.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a software tool to assist in the search;

providing the user with a list of a group of fields, each of said fields including data in an associated data format;

the user selecting one of the fields in the list, and inputting a value to be searched for in the selected field; and

the software tool configuring the input value in the data format associated with the selected field.

9. A system according to claim 3, wherein the step of receiving said codes includes the further step of performing a search for a code equivalent to the selected one of the items.

6. A system for conducting a web search, comprising:

means for receiving a language selection and a web page selection from a user;

means for translating said web page into said language, including translating a pull-down list of searchable fields, and for each said field, translating items on one or more selection lists, wherein a code is associated with each item;

means for providing said translated web page to said user, including providing script enabling said user to select one of said searchable fields and one or more of said items;

means for receiving the codes associated with said selected items, and performing a search in response thereto; and

means for translating results from said search into said language, and providing the translated results to the user.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said translating means includes means for converting the data structure of a date or an amount into said language.

8. A system according to claim 6, further comprising a software tool to assist with the search, and wherein the means for receiving said codes includes means for using the software tool to identify codes equivalent to said items.

10. A system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a software tool to assist in the search; and

means for providing the user with a list of a group of fields, each of said fields including data in an associated data format; and

wherein

when the user selects one of the fields in the list, and inputs a value to be searched for in the selected field, the software tool configures the input value in the data format associated with the selected field.

11. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for conducting a web search, said method steps comprising:

receiving a language selection and a web page selection from a user;

translating said web page into said language, including translating a pull-down list of searchable fields, and for each said field, translating items on one or more selection lists, wherein a code is associated with each item;

providing said translated web page to said user including providing script enabling said user to select one of said searchable fields and one or more of said items;

receiving the codes associated with said selected items and performing a search in response thereto; and

translating results from said search into said language, and providing the translated results to the user.

12. A program storage device according to claim 11, wherein said translating includes converting the data structure of a date or an amount into said language.

13. A program storage device according to claim 11, wherein said method steps further comprise the step of providing a software tool to assist with the search, and the step of receiving said codes includes the step of using the software tool to identify codes equivalent to said items.

14. A program storage device according to claim 13, wherein the step of receiving said codes includes the further step of performing a search for a code equivalent to the selected one of the items.

15. A program storage device according to claim 11, wherein said method steps further comprise the steps of:

providing a software tool to assist in the search;

providing the user with a list of a group of fields, each of said fields including data in an associated data format;

the user selecting one of the fields in the list, and inputting a value to be searched for in the selected field; and

the software tool configuring the input value in the data format associated with the selected field.